


Useless Lesbians: Boarding School Edition

by DroughtofApathy



Series: A Thousand Lifetimes [26]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boarding School, F/F, First Time, Friendship/Love, Tender Sex, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroughtofApathy/pseuds/DroughtofApathy
Summary: Sutton swore her new friend Melora was out to try and steal her boyfriend. Why else would she be constantly hanging around them? Clearly the flowers and books Melora kept giving her were just diversions. And obviously the insults Melora kept giving Todd were just her way of flirting. And so what if kissing Todd hadn't been nearly as nice as that one kiss with Melora? It didn't mean anything.





	Useless Lesbians: Boarding School Edition

**Author's Note:**

> All characters are over 18 by the time the sex part actually happens.

From the moment Sutton Hesford first met her, she did not like Melora Sulong. She didn’t know why or how it happened, but something about Melora got Sutton all riled up. It had to be how effortlessly she seemed to do everything. It wasn’t fair. How Melora could breeze through every single class she took without having to study a single page, yet she still managed to nearly steal top student away from her made Sutton’s blood boil.

For the first few months of the year Sutton had been all but convinced Melora was somehow cheating off of her. After all, everyone at school had been together since they were twelve, and Melora hadn’t been enrolled until they’d all become Year 10 students. Which meant two years of Sutton being the uncontested head student until little Melora had come along with her long black hair and tiny everything.

After accusing her of copying answers one time, however, Sutton had never made the same mistake again. In all their years together, Sutton couldn’t remember a single instance when Melora had ever raised her voice but that moment. She’d regretted calling her a cheater ever since.

Back in Year 10, everyone had been gawky awkward adolescents just beginning to develop, yet somehow Little Miss Perfect had been the one fourteen-year-old Sutton knew who’d been even remotely confident in her appearance. While Sutton had been a rail-thin giantess of a girl with no breasts or hips to speak of and hair that frizzed at even the slightest hint of moisture, Melora had remained tiny with good skin and even better hair.

The smaller girl had changed right out in the open rather than hide behind her bed like the others – though according to Josie Mendoza, Lila Khan did the same thing and far more shamelessly than Melora.

There were times Sutton recognized part of her dislike as jealousy. Jealousy at Melora’s natural intelligence and test-taking skills, jealousy at her appearance, her confidence, everything. Even how she managed to make the school uniform look not terrible. Admittedly, Sutton knew it was less outright confidence in her body and more a general apathy. Evidently whatever family Melora came from hadn’t drilled the importance of looks into her, because none of the other girls could seem to explain it in a way Melora could wrap her head around.

She’d simply not understood the need to line her eyes with black pencils or make herself look pretty when the boys at their brother school came for a visit. Not when there were more pressing matters to attend to.

“I don’t see what you could possibly be doing,” Sutton had said, with a toss of her dark red hair that was finally starting to cooperate. “It’s not like you _need_ to study.” Melora had simply shrugged infuriatingly and gone back to whatever book she had her nose in that day.

Now, in their last year at Silver Oak Preparatory School for Girls, Sutton grudgingly admitted to herself Melora wasn’t as intolerable as she’d thought all those years ago. Well, it was easier not to be jealous of Melora now that they were all adults and no longer awkward children. Everyone had grown up and out, it seemed, except for Melora. She’d stayed tiny, though Melora knew from years of showering next to, and changing in the same room as the other girl that just because she was tiny didn’t mean she didn’t have well-formed curves.

To her relief, though, Sutton herself had filled out rather nicely. She’d gained muscle instead of being a skinny-legged twig, and shapely hips she’d grown quite fond of. Of course, her breasts had stayed relatively small – something the other girls loved to good-naturedly tease her about in the showers – but Sutton had gotten over it quickly enough. Beside. It wasn’t like Melora had anything spectacular to speak of either. And God knew Lila Khan bitched about her large chest enough for Sutton to know it was more hassle than it was worth.

And sure, after living in the same room as Melora Sulong for four years, she knew the other girl didn’t glide through her grades as easily as she’d originally though. Sure, Melora didn’t frantically study with color-coordinated study sheets like Sutton did, but she had her own methods that worked for her.

And okay, yes, Sutton had become admittedly rather fond of the tiny Asian in her dorm in a competitive rival sort of way. Plus there was something to be said for Melora’s caustic brand of humor. More than once – okay, many many times – Sutton had caught herself about to openly laugh at some sarcastic quip Melora had made to herself. How Melora and Sutton had something as particular as humor in common confused the taller girl to no end.

By some happenstance, both Melora and Sutton ended up staying at the school over the Christmas break. They weren’t the only ones, of course, but Sutton had been looking forward to heading home and getting a merciful break from her strange roommate. She knew Melora never went home for any holiday, which sometimes struck her as rather sad, but mostly she just put out of her head.

This year, however, her parents regretfully informed her that they’d planned a special trip to Paris without her because it would run past her break and they didn’t like the idea of her traveling back alone. Which had infuriated Sutton to no end. She was nearly eighteen years old. Would be eighteen in January, in fact. But rather than cause a scene and throw a tantrum like the child they obviously thought she was, she’d stiffly agreed to remain at the school.

When she’d casually mentioned it to Melora, who deserved to know being her roommate and all, the smaller girl had given her a startled look, but said nothing of it.

Well, Sutton supposed it wasn’t so terrible. A lot of her friends had ended up staying over. Both Josie and Lila, as well as Daisy Grant and Holland Bartoli, were around and between Lila’s wild and reckless nature as well as Holland’s ability to sneak into the Headmistress’s wine stash undetected, it was going to be a good holiday after all.

“You should invite your roommate,” Lila suggested, stashing the stolen alcohol in her bag. Holland had managed to smuggle out more than just wine. “After all, we are doing this in _your_ room, and it’s not like we can just lock her out for the night.”

Secretly, Sutton didn’t see why not. Melora was the last person she thought would be keen to get drunk while still underage, even if only by a few months at the latest, but she reluctantly nodded.

They couldn’t have their little party in either of the other dorms because they were way too close to teachers’ rooms. Melora and Sutton lived in the farthest rooms from anyone, and the biggest too. The benefits of being the two smartest in the school. Though, now that Sutton was older and wiser, she knew grades were a poor indicator of true intelligence. Holland, for instance, was definitely a genius when it came to inventing things, and even Lila, a girl most figured had more breast than brain, had shrewd cunning in her very blood.

Melora had seemed only mildly interested when Sutton brought up the little party. Though she assured the redhead she wouldn’t say anything about it to the teachers on the grounds no one threw up in the room or spilled anything, she’d not committed to attending herself. Sutton hadn’t been worried Melora would say anything. She was many things, but a snitch wasn’t one of them. Not with her issues with authority.

And normally Sutton wouldn’t have pressed the issue, but for some reason she’d been wildly curious what a drunk Melora would be like. She always seemed to put-together and perfect. What would she be like inebriated and completely unfiltered? So, with that in mind, Sutton had wheedled her way into Melora reluctantly agreeing.

After the Christmas feast, the six girls had returned to their respective dorms as if nothing was amiss. They knew the teachers would be more lenient about any sneaking out tonight as long as they were quiet about it. And no one would suspect Sutton Hesford or Melora Sulong of doing anything untoward at all.

Shortly after lights out, Sutton heard a quiet knock on the door. She opened it a crack and grinned when she saw the others smiling back, treasures tucked safely into their bags.

“God, you’re so lucky this room is basically soundproof,” Josie said, making herself comfortable on the bed. Sutton nudged her off immediately. With the six of them, and wanting to be as close as possible, they were going to have to sit on the floor.

The six girls made short work dragging the blankets and pillows off the beds and making themselves comfortable. Then, they broke out the alcohol. At first, both Melora and Josie had been against drinking straight from the bottles.

“It’s unsanitary,” Melora said primly. She got up and after rummaging around in a chest for a moment, came back with a stack of plastic cups.

“Ugh, there’s not enough of them for beer pong,” Holland complained, beginning to pour everyone a glass of the expensive wine first. Better start off the night with the illusion of class, even if they were all sitting on the floor in their night clothes, mercifully out of uniform for once.

“I don’t think any of us could play effectively anyway except maybe Lila,” Sutton said. “Besides, anyone got a ping pong ball they want to just pull out of their arse? I thought not.”

Daisy giggled slightly, eyes wide. She always did seem nervous around cursing, though Sutton though she’d be used to it after rooming with Holland all these years, but evidently not.

“Well, we gotta play some type of drinking game to get started, otherwise we’re just boring adults responsibly sipping at vintage wine,” Lila insisted. “Ooh, how about truth or shots? We can’t do Never Have I Ever because Daisy here wouldn’t get drunk at all.”

“I’ve done…things,” Daisy said defensively, blushing slightly. Sutton thought she looked the picture of innocence with her little blonde curls and blue eyes, but then, she’d never been an ingenue herself.

“Like what?” Josie asked teasingly, sipping her wine like she’d been taught at home. Daisy shrugged, an answer in and of itself. “That settles that, then. Truth or shots. Hey, Daisy. When was the last time you “flicked the bean”?” Josie smirked, watching Daisy’s eyes widen and skin turn a faint shade of pink. She drank.

“What about the rest of you?” She shot back peevishly, misliking being signaled out for being inexperienced. “It’s not- lots of girls do it, right?”

“Of course.” Sutton hadn’t expected Melora to answer. Her head whipped around just in time to see Melora shrug casually as though she weren’t agreeing that lots of girls touched themselves. The others apparently looked just as surprised, because the smaller girl sighed and sipped her wine. “Masturbation is healthy, pleasurable, and harmless.”

“Since you’re so willing to share, why don’t you tell us when the last time you did it was?” Lila said with a smirk. “Personally I love getting off. Better then fooling round with those fumbling boys.”

“Probably a few nights ago, I’d say,” Melora answered without any shame.

“What?” Sutton said, much louder than she’d intended. She flushed at Melora’s raised eyebrow, daring her to judge. “But- but I’m _in the room_! How did you…? I’m not _that_ heavy a sleeper.”

“Unlike you I can be quiet when I need to be,” Melora said smugly. Sutton spluttered, hiding her face behind her cup.

“Shut up, Melora,” Sutton said, unable to think of something clever to say. She turned on Lila, hoping to divert some of the attention to a more receptive source. “Lila, we all know you’ve gone all the way with a boy. Why don’t you tell us what it’s like if you’re so brazen about it?”

Lila winked, downing the last of her wine. Sutton furrowed her brow, certain Lila would have had a ball sharing. But Lila immediately launched into a detailed and rather disgusting description that had Holland, Josie, and Sutton enthralled, Daisy mortified, and Melora looking rather disgusted.

“What? It’s not like it’s a big deal,” Lila said, but they all knew she was proud of her sex life. “Just because none of you have ever gone all the way with a boy. Unless…alright, everyone fess up. Who’s gone all the way before?”

The five other girls all looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes, but no one seemed to want to own up to anything. Lila waved a hand, as if to demonstrate her point. “See? No shame in waiting to cross home base, but I know what I want. Holland, I’ll give you a tame one, girl. How was your first kiss last week?”

“Eh.” Holland shrugged. “Nothing too spectacular. We were both pretty new to it all, so neither of us had any idea what we were doing, and he wasn’t exactly any Prince Charming.” Sutton made the mistake of snickering and Holland immediately turned on her. “What’s so funny, Sutton? I know for a fact you didn’t have your first kiss until this past June. You got a better story?”

Sutton drank. “I don’t kiss and tell.” She caught Melora looking at her curiously and flushed. She knew Melora had been the one to catch her and one of the boys from the other school awkwardly kissing in the library. It had been just as disappointing as Holland said.

“Ugh, this is already boring,” said Josie. “I’m not drunk yet, and all I’ve learned is that kissing has been disappointing for all of us except Lila who’s clearly got some sort of secret she’s not willing to share with the class.”

“It just takes practice,” Lila said. She refilled her glass with something stronger than the vintage wine. “The more you do it, the better it gets. What? Do you want a demonstration?”

“What? With each other?” Daisy looked scandalized. “But- but girls can’t kiss girls! Wait, have you kissed girls? Why?”

“Don’t see why not,” Lila said casually. “Girls are totally better kissers than boys. C’mon, someone back me up here. I know someone’s got to have kissed a girl too.”

To Sutton’s shock, Melora nodded. “It’s just softer and less pressure to get it right. Girls are way more understanding and patient, I mean, I assume. Never actually kissed a boy and I’m not really looking to start.”

Lila and Melora exchanged knowing looks as the other four stared at them in awe. They clearly needed to liberate these poor girls. So, downing the last of the wine, Lila placed the bottle in the middle of the floor and spun it.

“You all got to kiss a girl sometime, so let’s do this,” Lila said. They all watched the bottle slowly come to a stop in front of Daisy who squeaked and turned bright red. Nervously she drank the rest of her wine and grabbed the bottle of scotch Lila had opened. After another drink she shyly leaned forward.

To her credit, Lila didn’t traumatize the poor girl like Sutton knew she no-doubt could have. Instead, she gave Daisy a gentle, almost chaste kiss. Daisy giggled, biting her lip. “Oh, that was better.”

“That’s only a taste, honey,” Lila said, her voice a low purr. Daisy giggled even harder. Sutton resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She liked Daisy well enough. God knew one of them had to have a sensible head on her shoulders, but sometimes she was just too innocent for her own good. So, more testily than probably necessary, Sutton asked if Daisy was going to spin or just moon over Lila all night.

The kiss between Daisy and Josie wasn’t much more exciting, nor was the one between Josie and Holland. Lila apparently thought so too because she caught Melora’s eye.

“Why don’t we show these amateurs how it’s done?” Lila raised an eyebrow challengingly. Sutton watched intently, certain Melora wouldn’t rise to Lila’s bait. But she must have been batting zero that night, because Melora beckoned Lila closer.

Sutton swallowed back a gasp. Never in a million years had she thought watching two girls kiss would be this…this fascinating. Practice must have made perfect because Melora and Lila clearly knew what they were doing. They moved seamlessly together as though they were completely in tune. And neither let their hands idle either. Lila had her hands on Melora’s tiny waist, touching even the exposed little bit of skin from where her shirt had ridden up, and Melora buried her fingers in Lila’s many curls. Sutton knew no one was ever allowed to touch Lila’s hair, so she knew it must have been a good kiss.

When they finally broke apart, both girls looked just a tad less put-together than they’d been. Sutton grit her teeth, feeling a stab of something she couldn’t quite explain. Melora’s lips were slightly swollen, making them even more full than usual. She looked slightly out of breath and Sutton’s eyes instinctively went to her rising and falling chest.

Melora quickly collected herself, however, and spun the bottle. Sutton didn’t dare breathe as it began to slow. When it stopped on her, she nearly fainted. Melora looked at her questioningly. Sutton nodded, and wet her lips in preparation.

Their lips met. And…and at first it was really awkward. Sutton, being so much taller than Melora, had to uncomfortably hunch down, and they’d started a bit too far apart to be perfectly balanced. But quickly Melora took change. Without breaking contact, she smoothly moved forward and gently pushed Sutton back.

With a muffled gasp, Sutton fell backwards against a pile of pillows. She felt Melora easily settle on her lap, evening out their heights. And, dear god, Melora was _really_ good at this. Sutton felt herself willingly acquiesce, her body pliant and alight with excitement.

Melora’s hands immediately went to her hair, carefully taking it out of the messy bun she’d thrown it in before. Sutton sighed quietly, the sounds muffled by Melora’s mouth, but she knew Melora must have felt it. God, this was so much better than kissing those few boys in the past. They’d been awkward and rough and way too demanding. One had tried shoving his tongue down her throat and gotten a slap for his trouble. But though Melora dragged her tongue along Sutton’s bottom lip, she didn’t demand entrance. Secretly, Sutton knew she’d have gladly let her in.

Not wanting to feel like a limp noodle, Sutton reciprocated as best she could. She rested her hands at Melora’s hips, and tried to match her kiss as skillfully as possible.

A loud and pointed cough sent them both retreating from each other as though burned. Sutton could have strangled Josie and her smug face in that moment. Glaring at everyone and daring them to comment, Sutton drew up her knees as casually as she could to hide her stiff nipples beneath her night shirt. She’d not worn a bra and wasn’t naïve enough to misunderstand the meaning of her body’s reaction.

But surely it was just a physical reaction to such a good kiss, right? Sutton had never had any interest in kissing girls before. Or doing anything else, for that matter. Then again, she’d not had any interest in kissing boys but that was probably just because Todd, her potential boyfriend, wasn’t very good at it. Surely once they practiced, like Lila said, she’d look forward to it much more. If his kissing was anything like Melora’s…

“Wow. That was…wow,” Holland said pretending to fan herself. She shoved the bottle of scotch in Sutton’s direction. “Look like you could use this, girl.” Sutton’s only response was to talk a long swig straight from the bottle. Anything to avoid Melora’s knowing gaze.

“Looks like kissing girls is better than you thought,” Lila teased. She grabbed the bottle and drank herself.

“It was…fine,” Sutton said haughtily. She tossed her hair and tried desperately not to remember how it felt to have Melora’s fingers threading through her scalp. “C’mon, this is getting old. Let’s just drink.”

So, they did. Which turned out to be a big mistake Sutton knew they’d make when she planned it, but it still didn’t prepare her for the full brunt of the consequences.

Somewhere around two in the morning the other girls stumbled out, holding in drunken giggles. Lila, surprisingly the least drunk – or more likely the one best able to hold her liquor – took charge in getting them all back to their rooms without being caught, and Sutton left them to it. She was way too drunk to even think, much less help.

She vaguely registered Melora trying to tug her up off the floor to no avail. She really was quite tiny. And Sutton had to be drunker than she realized because rather than stumble onto her bed, she instead splayed herself out on the floor in the nest of pillows and blankets.

“Sutton, you’ve got to get into a bed before you end up pulling a muscle on the floor or something,” Melora said tiredly, slurring ever so slightly. How she could still sound so posh even after downing a glass of wine and a good amount of scotch, Sutton didn’t know and was too intoxicated to think about.

The redhead had no idea what possessed her to do it. All she knew was that in her drunken state she just wanted Melora to shut up a minute and let her sleep. Naturally, the best way to do that was to tug the unsteady girl down onto the nest with her.

Melora yelped, toppling over. She glared at Sutton, who had her face buried in a pillow and didn’t see.

“Mm tired,” Sutton said, voice muffled by the pillow. Melora nudged her over, trying to find her balance and get up. Sutton watched in amusement, lifting her head ever so slightly. She’d never turn down an opportunity to see Melora Sulong off-balance.

Finally the smaller girl gave up and flopped back with a loud sigh. Sutton giggled and pulled her closer to her chagrin. But before Melora could start arguing, Sutton passed out, comfortably curled around the tiny girl’s form.

Sometime in the middle of the night, or more accurately in the early hours of the morning, Sutton woke up just long enough to fully process that she was on the floor with Melora Sulong in her arms and it was a lot more comfortable than she’d have thought. She had one arm slung over Melora’s waist, and their legs were all tangled up. She barely had enough time to realize Melora was a lot smaller than she’d thought before falling back into a deep slumber.

The next time she woke up, Sutton immediately felt the other girl’s absence. She sat up and immediately regretted her entire life. Sober and completely hungover, Sutton acutely smelt the open bottle of alcohol near where she’d been sleeping and saw the disastrous state of the area around her.

The door creaked and Melora slipped in, moving silently towards her bed. She’d tossed aside her robe and turned to face the room when she realized Sutton was awake. Sutton stared, still not entirely thinking straight apparently. It was a small mercy for the both of them that it was still too dark in the room for Sutton to really see anything, but she still felt her cheeks heat up considerably and she quickly turned away.

Moving her head that fast turned out to be another mistake. Her stomach churned and Sutton mentally cursed Lila’s very existence. In an instant, she felt Melora gently rubbing small circles under her back. The smaller girl held out a glass of cold water that tasted like heaven itself and some ibuprofen. Sutton groaned in relief, feeling her stomach unclench slightly.

“Thanks,” Sutton said gruffly, voice still gravely from sleep. She usually didn’t mind her strangely deep voice, but her morning voice truly sounded terrible. Like she’d swallowed rocks or something. “Fuck’s sake, what the bloody hell did we do last night?”

“Drank vintage wine and scotch and probably vodka, but I might be making that part up,” Melora said. “Come on. I’ve got crackers we can eat, then we’ve got to do something about this room. God, it looks like a wild boar got loose or something.”

“Nope, just Lila,” Sutton said, unsteadily picking herself up. “Ugh, fine. Okay, I’m going to go get cleaned up. Don’t clean anything up until I get back, seriously.” Sutton grabbed her things, still feeling her head spin.

It took ten minutes, and vigorously scrubbing her own scalp for Sutton to remember exactly what had happened last night in excruciating detail. Gasping, she very nearly fell over as she felt the memory of Melora’s lips ghost over her own.

“Fuck,” she muttered, touching her mouth. She’d kissed a girl. She’d kissed her roommate. A girl she’d spent years hating on principle, and had only just begun to tolerate. And she’d really, _really_ liked it. “Fuck.”

Neither Sutton nor Melora brought up the kiss, and none of the other girls mentioned it either. Even Lila, though she gave Sutton knowing looks whenever she caught her glancing across the room at Melora.

Kissing aside, all the other drunken fun they’d had together didn’t change anything. Melora still kept to herself, nose buried in some book or hunched over a stack of loose leaf, scrawling in her tiny handwriting across the page. Sutton found it more than a little strange, but didn’t concern herself until Melora suddenly started stealing glances at her.

It was everywhere. In the library, in class, in the dining room. Even in their own room Sutton would look up just in time to see Melora duck her head.

“Maybe she’s just lonely,” Daisy said when Sutton mentioned it. “She’s not got many friends, yeah? Maybe she thought us inviting her to have some fun with us meant we’d invite her with us more.”

“It’s not like she’s made any effort to sit with us or anything,” Sutton said with a shrug. “If she wanted to, she could just ask.”

“Does Melora strike you as someone who just goes up to people and inserts herself if there’s a chance she’s not wanted?” Lila said between mouthfuls. Sutton shrugged, but Lila had a point. She looked up and unsurprisingly Melora was looking at them from behind her book. She sat off to the side at the end of the table, seemingly engrossed in her book.

Dinner was almost over so Sutton didn’t do anything, but when they got back to their room she stood in front of Melora’s bed until she looked up.

“Look, you’ve been staring at us for the past two weeks,” Sutton said, crossing her arms. Melora didn’t respond and instead just blinked up at the redhead. “If you wanted to join us you just had to ask. We’re going into town tomorrow, if you were interested.”

Melora just kept looking at her. Sutton shifted uncomfortably, but finally went back to her side of the room, a scowl on her face. Typical of Melora to just-

“Thank you,” Melora said quietly. “I’d like that.” Sutton looked up but Melora had already ducked her head, though not fast enough to hide the faint color on her browned cheeks. With a satisfied smirk, Sutton turned her back to get ready for bed.

Even though it was a weekend and they weren’t in school, the girls still had to don their school uniforms and behave with the proper decorum. Any girl who caused a scene would be easily identified by the school’s sigil so no one ever did anything too scandalous. Though Lila had been known to toe the line on more than one occasion even if she never crossed it. Sutton thought had she not been black she might have been less inclined to follow the rules, but as it was Lila knew she had to hold herself to a higher standard. Sometimes Sutton wished Lila could just have fun.

Anyway, it wasn’t until they got to town and Sutton spotted the boys that she remembered they’d planned to meet up with Todd and some of his friends. She winced inwardly, and looked at Melora. For some strange reason having Todd and Melora in the same place seemed too dangerous.

“Hey babe,” Todd said. He went in for a kiss but Sutton pushed him back playfully. “Aww, come on, love. It’s been weeks.”

“Then maybe you’ve forgotten, but we’re not dating yet, Todd,” Sutton said with a smirk. She tossed her hair as the other boys whooped and elbowed Todd good-naturedly. “Oh, this is Melora. She’s my roommate. Be nice, boys or she might literally stab you.” The boys laughed, taking in Melora’s small stature.

“She’s not joking,” Melora said, raising an eyebrow. She had a damn good glare, Sutton had to admit. The boys’ laughter trailed off as they realized she was most definitely going to probably stab one of them.

Todd clapped on of his friends on the back. “All yours, mate.”

There were eight of them – four of the boys, Melora, Sutton, Lila, and Holland – so they had to wait a bit to get the big booth at the diner, but they all squeezed in. Sutton found herself squished between Melora and Todd. Melora had managed to get the end, lucky bitch, and didn’t have to suffer like the rest of them.

“Good thing you brought your friend along,” Todd said in Sutton’s ear. “Jimmy’s been looking for a girl. Think she might be interested in my boy?”

Sutton glanced over at Jimmy, wrinkling her nose before she could stop herself. He was probably a nice enough boy at heart, but he had enough hair gel to drown a cat, and reeked of cologne. Definitely not a boy Melora would like.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Todd said, slinging his arm around Sutton’s shoulder. “Ah, well. He’ll get over it. Say, Melora? That’s a neat name. Doesn’t sound too Asian though.”

“Todd,” Sutton hissed, harshly elbowing him in his ribs. He winced, rubbing his side. “Don’t be rude!”

“That’s because it’s not Asian,” Melora said simply, sipping her water. “It’s a genus of moth, actually.” At the blank looks across the table Melora shrugged, looking down. Todd made a contemplative noise.

“Good to know,” he said. “Say, how’d a nice girl like you get mixed up with this minx right here?” He squeezed Sutton’s shoulder playfully. The redhead rolled her eyes, but let him. It was what boys were supposed to do, right? Sutton missed Melora’s reply, too busy slapping Todd’s hand under the table from where it had started inching up her knee. It must have been on brand with Melora’s usual caustic wit because the other boys hooted with laughter and Lila reached out and high fived the other girl. Something Melora returned somewhat awkwardly.

To Sutton’s chagrin, Todd and Melora spent more time trading insults than talking to her and even more shocking neither seemed particularly angry at the other, but instead appeared eager to continue showing off their cleverness.

Sutton came back to the school in a cross mood and didn’t say much of anything to Melora for the rest of the night. Not that Melora seemed looking for a conversation.

But the next time a bunch of them went out together, and Todd and Melora spent the first half trading barbs, Sutton couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing Todd’s hand, she finally agreed try going out with him. The boy’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and he immediately pulled her in for a kiss that she convinced herself was just as good as the one she’d shared with Melora.

The rest of the day Sutton had Todd’s undivided attention much to her own enjoyment. Boys were way too easy, she remembered Lila saying once. Given how Todd now insisted on paying for her drink, treating her to the movie they went to see after, and all around mooning over her, she had to agree.

That night it was Melora who seemed in a bad mood, though Sutton could have been imagining it.

What Sutton knew she was not imagining was how Melora and Todd seemed thick as thieves whenever they went out. She couldn’t pretend to understand how they hadn’t ripped each other apart yet, but each insult seemed to be almost said in affection. It made her scowl to no end.

Weeks went by, and more than once Sutton saw Melora chatting with Todd before anyone else had even showed up. She glowered, and couldn’t understand why Melora had decided Sutton’s boyfriend would be a good boy to talk to. None of Todd’s other friends held her interest, and any insults she sent their way were most certainly meant to be insults and nothing but.

Sutton began to feel her and Melora’s already precarious friendship strain. She hated how seamlessly she and Todd seemed to be able to talk to each other as equals. Every time Todd spoke to her it was something flirtatious or crude or a bawdy comment on her body. He could be sweet too, of course, but she’d yet to truly talk to him about something genuinely interesting. That Melora could hold his fascination so easily made Sutton’s blood boil.

Certainly, Melora was pretty. She’d stopped denying that years ago. But Sutton knew she was no Boo Radley herself, and she’d gotten rather good at kissing if she said so herself. She’d even let Todd feel her up a bit, even if she didn’t like how rough he sometimes got. He had a perfectly good girlfriend, so why did he insist on spending so much time with someone else?

What was perhaps most maddening of all was Melora herself. She carried on as though nothing could possibly be wrong with how she acted with Sutton’s boyfriend, and in fact, she’d been more talkative and attentive to Sutton than ever. She’d started recommending books she thought Sutton would like – and admittedly they were all very good – and had even gotten Sutton some of her favorite tea bags one weekend just because. Sutton knew for a fact Melora, in a stunning betrayal of British kind, did not like tea.

It took her over a month to realize exactly what Melora was doing. She was trying to steal her boyfriend! Of course, it was so obvious. She’d taken a liking to Todd, and her insults were just her way of expressing it. She’d just gotten close to Sutton to keep accompanying them to town, and had been doing such nice things for her to throw her off the trail. It all made such sense now. That explained the bouquet of crocuses Melora had shyly placed on Sutton’s desk, and why she kept sharing her gingersnap cookies.

Well, it didn’t matter. Tomorrow she planned on telling Todd she was going to go steady with him anyway. Once she did that he’d know going all the way wouldn’t be far off and forget all about Little Miss Perfect.

At breakfast, Sutton was in a particularly good mood. Everyone around her noticed. Melora gave her a small smile which she pointedly ignored.

“What’s got you smiling so much, Sutton?” Josie asked, reaching over for the butter. “Got a hot date with Todd?”

“Better,” Sutton said with a smirk. “I’ve decided-” she paused for dramatic effect- “I’m going to tell Todd I’m ready to go steady with him.” The other girls squealed with excitement. It wasn’t lost on her that Melora most certainly did not. She smugly sent Melora a triumphant look.

“Do you really think that’s wise?” Melora commented airily. She had a book in her hand and didn’t look up. That alone rubbed Sutton the wrong way. Could the girl be any more blatant about her intentions? “I mean, he seems a bit…one track mind, if you catch my drift. Wouldn’t it be better to wait a little longer?”

“Why? So you can snatch him up before we make it official?” Sutton asked snidely. That got Melora to look up from her book. She gave Sutton an indecipherable look that made her squirm slightly. But Sutton didn’t back down, and made sure to hold Melora’s gaze.

“Don’t- don’t be ridiculous,” Melora said, sounding confused. “I just thought seeing as you hardly ever talk to him about anything more than how much he likes making out with you, it would be better to wait until he’s grown up some. You just strike me as someone who’d like a bit of intelligence in your choice of partner, Sutton.”

“Todd is perfectly capable of being an intelligent man,” Sutton said getting angry. “You’d know all about it with how much you two flirt with each other anyway. Yeah, don’t think I haven’t caught on to that, Melora. But it doesn’t matter because Todd likes me, and once we start going steady he’s going to forget all about you.”

Melora looked around, acutely aware that half the table could hear Sutton’s voice. “What are you on about? I’m not- what?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Sutton snapped, not caring who heard. Josie and Daisy stared at her like she’d grown a second head, but she just plowed on. “You trying to…to _seduce_ me into being your friend just so you could get close to _my_ boyfriend. Well I’ve been on to you from the start.” Sutton felt a stab of victory at Melora’s affronted look.

“Sutton, what are you doing?” Daisy whispered, eyes wide as quarters. “Everyone’s staring!”

“Good,” Sutton said. “Then they’ll all know to keep their men close just in case.”

“You really are a complete fool,” Melora said with a soft laugh. Sutton curled her lip in anger at that. “God, you think I’ve been _flirting_ with your boyfriend? I can’t stand him. He’s an arrogant arsehole, and I couldn’t give a bloody fuck. I just tolerated him because you’re my friend, Sutton. At least, I thought you were. Clearly I was mistaken.”

“Honestly, Melora. The only reason we even let you hand out with us is because we felt sorry for you,” Sutton said cruelly. It was worth it just to see the stricken expression that crossed Melora’s pretty face. “Don’t pretend you didn’t want what I have. You’ve always wanted what I had, but not this time.”

Melora’s face burned. Mortified, she swiftly got up from the table and fled from the dining room, the whole student body watching her go. Sutton did too, with some satisfaction that lasted all of twelve seconds before Lila smacked her in the arm. Hard.

“Ow! What was that for?” Sutton rubbed her arm, glaring down at the red mark. Her pale skin always did bruise so easily.

“You’re a fucking moron, it what it’s for,” Lila said. “She ain’t after your boyfriend, girl. She ain’t after _any_ boy. Fucking cunt, she told us this herself. Bleeding girl’s a _fucking_ lesbian, you twat.”

“And you just humiliated her in front of everyone,” Daisy said in a shrill whisper. “Sutton, why? We all like Melora, and I know you do too. Why would you say we didn’t?”

“I- I just thought- but you’ve all seen how she is with Todd, haven’t you?” Sutton looked at each of them, eyes wide. She felt a sinking ache in her stomach, and bitter regret on her tongue. “Fuck. Oh, fuck.” She banged her head on the table while the others exchanged anxious looks.

When Melora didn’t come back to their room by curfew, Sutton started to get worried. She knew Melora was stubborn and prideful, so it didn’t exactly surprise her that she’d stay away. But she’d get in trouble if she was caught, and besides where could she even go?

All of this was her fault anyway, so Sutton slipped on her shoes and robe and cautiously went out to look for her in the hopes she could beg for forgiveness.

She found Melora in one of the library closets that the smaller girl had charmed the library for the key to. She was huddled in a ball, and looked to have been crying most of the day. Sutton felt like dirt. Hesitantly she knocked. Melora looked up, nearly jumping out of her skin. When she saw Sutton she immediately turned away.

“Haven’t you humiliated me enough today?” She asked, hugging herself tightly. “Just go away, Sutton. I don’t want to hear any more of your stupid accusations. God, I can’t believe I’m stupid enough to fall for you.”

“You- what?” Sutton felt the floor drop out from under her feet. She sat down heavily, staring at Melora in a daze. “Fall…fall for _me_? But I thought-”

“Yes, I know what you thought,” Melora said scathingly. Sutton flinched, knowing she deserved that tone. “God, I thought you accusing me of cheating off of you in Year 10 was bad enough. No, Sutton. I don’t like your boyfriend. I couldn’t give two shits about him. But I thought I should- that I should make sure he knew I could kill him if he didn’t treat you right or something. I wasn’t _flirting_ with him. Not that you seem to know the difference because I’ve been flirting with you for months and clearly that’s not gone well.”

“What?” Sutton decided this was what drowning must have been like. She floundered, trying to make sense of everything. “Then…then the cookies and the flowers…You were doing those things because you like me? Oh.”

“Oh,” Melora repeated, laughing mirthlessly. “Yes, bloody stupid of me. You just mentioned how gingersnaps were your favorite, and how you didn’t like winter because there weren’t any flowers, so I- I just thought I’d do something nice so maybe you’d smile at me or something. Pathetic, isn’t it? Clearly, I’ve been a fool all this time for not realizing what a fucking burden I’ve been to you.”

“But how could you possibly like me?” Sutton couldn’t believe what she was hearing. That someone like Melora could somehow decide she liked Sutton even though she’d seen her at her worst. She just didn’t understand it.

“How could I not?” Melora’s eyes flickered to Sutton, and Sutton nearly forgot to breathe. “It doesn’t matter. Obviously, you’d never feel the same, but I never expected anything anyway. I’ll- I’ll request a room change in the morning so you won’t be uncomfortable like you clearly are.”

“What? No! No, please. I’m so sorry, Melora,” Sutton said pleadingly. “I should never have said those things in front of everyone like that. I- I promise I’ll- I’ll apologize tomorrow at breakfast, so everyone knows what an idiot I am. I’ll get down on my knees and beg your forgiveness if I have to. Please, I’m so sorry, really. Can you ever forgive me?”

Melora didn’t look at her. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” At Sutton’s surprised look, Melora sighed. “Contrary to popular belief, Sutton. Just because someone apologizes doesn’t mean anyone else had to accept. You humiliated me. Made sure everyone, all the students, all of my teachers, everyone. You made sure they all knew you thought me nothing more than dirt and a boyfriend stealer. That the only reason you ever deigned to be my friend was out of pity.”

She spat the words with such ferocity Sutton flinched and backed away slightly. “I’m still, so sorry. Please, I-”

“What are you two doing in here?” Both girls immediately jumped up, looking equally ashamed as Miss. Chesterfield, the librarian, looked at them both sternly. “Really, Miss. Hesford, Miss. Sulong. I would have expected better of you both. Don’t you share a room, for heaven’s sake?”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” Melora said quietly, looking down. She held her hand to the side of her face to hide her red eyes and tear-stained face. Without looking at either of them, Melora slipped out of the room. Sutton stepped forward to go after her but Miss. Chesterfield blocked her path.

“What’s this all about them, Miss. Hesford?” Sutton squirmed under her gaze. She wanted to give some half-arsed excuse, but then she remembered exactly who she was talking to. Though she didn’t announce it or flaunt her relationship, the entire school knew Miss. Chesterfield was in a secret relationship with Miss. Woolmer, the math teacher. Had it been anyone else, Sutton might have simply skived off, but surely Miss. Chesterfield could help.

“I- I messed up,” Sutton said, shame coloring her face. “I said some terrible things, Miss. Chesterfield, and I hurt Melora something terrible. But I just- I misinterpreted something and I thought- I didn’t realize- I just-”

“Finish one thought at a time, Miss. Hesford,” Miss. Chesterfield said, but she spoke kindly, like she understood.

“Miss. Chesterfield? How did you know you…that you didn’t like…men?” Sutton cringed at herself, and if possible managed to blush even redder. “Oh! I’m so sorry. That was inappropriate and you probably don’t want to answer something so personal…”

But Miss. Chesterfield took one look at this young woman and she must have realized the poor dear needed some older queer advice, because she sighed and sat down. Sutton blinked in confusion, but when the librarian patted the ground next to her, she sat.

“I was about your age,” Miss. Chesterfield said wistfully. “And there was this pretty girl named Honey. Honey Anderson. And she was lovely. Wouldn’t give me the time of day, of course, but somehow I still trailed after her like a little lost puppy. Well, I just got it in my head I had to tell her about how I felt, so I did.”

“And what happened?” Sutton asked, riveted. “Did she like you too?”

“No, dear, no,” Miss. Chesterfield said sadly. “She called me some choice names, actually. Broke my young heart. But if you can believe it, I felt better afterwards. Because I’d finally realized something about myself. And it worked out, as I’m sure you and your classmates whisper about.” Sutton had the good grace to look ashamed, but Miss. Chesterfield just laughed.

“I think I might like her,” Sutton whispered, almost afraid to voice it aloud. “Melora, I mean. And I’ve probably ruined everything. What do I do?”

“You need to figure that out for yourself, dear,” Miss. Chesterfield said, patting Sutton’s arm. “Go to her, Sutton. She may forgive you, and she may not. But if you ever need to talk, I’m here. It’s not an easy life, I’m sure you know.” Sutton nodded. She slowly stood, helping the librarian up. Then, with a hurried thank you, she rushed back to her room, hoping against hope Melora would be there.

“Melora, what can I do to make things better?” Sutton asked, dropping to her knees in front of a stoic Melora. “Please, I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I do like being your friend, and it was never out of pity or anything else. You’re an amazing person, and it’s an honor to be your friend.”

“Prove it, then,” Melora said in a small voice.

“Of course, anything,” Sutton said, relieved. “Anything at all. Really, I wasn’t lying when I said I’d beg your forgiveness. And I can…”

“No,” Melora said with an inarguable finality. “Not with grand gestures or public redemption. Just- just show me this whole thing wasn’t because you thought you’d be altruistic or- or…just do something.”

And without looking at Sutton once, Melora buried herself under her blankets, leaving Sutton to anxiously pace the room a few moments longer before reluctantly turning off the lights and getting into bed herself.

She lay awake a long time. Sutton didn’t know why she hadn’t told Melora she might feel the same way. She didn’t know why the thought of her knowing terrified her far more than one of the faculty at her school knowing.

“Melora? Are you awake?” Sutton turned over. In the dark she could just barely make out Melora’s form, a tiny lump on her bed. “I just-  I needed to tell you: I broke up with Todd today. I couldn’t- it wasn’t him I wanted. I realized it wasn’t you I was jealous of. It was him. I- I didn’t like how he took up all your attention, and how you insulted him and not…not me. God, that’s so bloody fucked up, I know, but I guess I was so used to us having our little rivalry, and I liked that. You made me try harder, and pushed me to be my best.

I didn’t- I thought I didn’t like girls like that. But I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. And I know it was just some experimental drunken shenanigans, but I’ve never felt like that before. I’ve never enjoyed kissing anyone as much as I did you. And that terrified me. So – and I know it’s no excuse – but I guess I projected my own desire to- my own feelings for you onto Todd.

And I swear I am going to make everything up to you. I can’t- I can’t imagine life without you. I mean, we’ve been in school together for years, and roommates, and I- I _like_ living with you. Melora, you- Melora?”

Sutton had simply assumed Melora was awake. She’d never known a night where Melora had succumbed to sleep before her. Sometimes she suspected Melora never slept, in fact. But squinting in the darkness, she could just barely see Melora’s chest slowly rise and fall, apparently completely asleep.

“Good night, Melora,” Sutton whispered as a wave of tenderness hit her like an oncoming locomotive. And with a grim determination to set things right, Sutton turned over and did her best to let herself sleep.

When Sutton set out to prove it, as Melora had wanted, she though it would be difficult at first. A young woman filled with theatrical and grand gestures, having to show her true feelings through little things seemed immensely challenging. Sutton liked being loud and visible, and wasn’t sure she’d even know what to do.

But showing Melora how she felt turned out to be one of the easiest things she’d ever done. Hardly having to think about it at all, Sutton eagerly stepped up to the task.

After yesterday’s events, Melora had chosen to retake her former seat at the very end of the table. All the other girls steered clear of her, whispering behind their hands and blatantly staring.

Despite believing a public apology would help dispel the loud whispers, Sutton chose to respect Melora’s wishes. Instead, with her head held high, she marched straight to the end of the table and sat down across from the smaller girl who, naturally, had her nose in a book in order to better ignore the stares.

Sutton’s presence just made the whispers even louder, but neither girl paid any mind to it. Melora didn’t say anything so Sutton kept her mouth shut. She did, however, pass her the end of the bread loaf, knowing Melora preferred the crunchy crust. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

The next day Sutton spent half an hour searching the library stacks for a particular book. She’d asked Miss. Chesterfield if she knew of any books Melora hadn’t yet read. It had taken the librarian a moment because Melora had read basically everything, but she finally decided on _(INSERT BOOK HERE)_ which had just recently come out.

Not wanting to recommend a book without reading it first, Sutton spent the next several days covertly sneaking peeks until she’d gotten through it. Only then did she, with more shyness than Sutton though she could even possess, hesitantly present Melora with the book. Melora seemed touched, and Sutton definitely saw her finish it in one night. She considered that a success.

Noticing Melora was running low on ink in her favorite pen, Sutton snuck off to the stationary store to see about getting refills. She also picked up a candy bar Melora would swear she didn’t like, which didn’t explain the wrappers Sutton saw in the bottom of their rubbish bin.

“Oh, thank you,” Melora said. She took the candy bar without comment, but Sutton saw her munching on it later that night, a soft smile on her face. It filled Sutton with a warm glow.

Nearly a week later, where Sutton spent most of her energy making innocuous gestures, each eliciting a small smile from her intended target (Sutton loved seeing Melora smile. She looked so pretty like that. A soft little upturn of her lips just for Sutton) Melora finally gave in.

She touched Sutton’s arm one night alone in their dorm room after Sutton had held out a small bouquet of hand-picked flowers from down near the lake. And just the barest brush of skin made Sutton shiver in delight.

“Thank you for this,” Melora said. “Thank you for everything, really. But you don’t have to keep doing all these lovely things, because I’ve forgiven you already. I think I always have. I’m sorry.”

But Sutton shook her head, a smile gracing her pale face. She explained that she quite liked doing these things for Melora. She liked seeing her smile, and she liked the feeling of satisfaction she got from seeing Melora so happy.

At that, Melora looked down with a faint blush on her cheeks. Sutton was used to being the one blushing so it was a nice change of pace. And the smaller girl looked rather endearing like that, though Sutton would never ever say something she knew Melora would find so appalling.

“I confessed my feelings for you last week, but you were asleep,” Sutton blurted after a lengthy silence. Melora’s startled face almost made the awkward blunder worth it, and the brilliant smile that followed definitely so.

“Really? I wasn’t sure you’d return my affections,” Melora said, in an effort to regain her normal poise. “Are you certain? I wouldn’t want you to embark on anything you’re not completely comfortable with.”

“Given how…delicate relationships of our nature are, I’m not sure I’m ever going to be completely comfortable,” Sutton admitted. She carefully searched Melora’s face for any indication that she felt disappointed or displeased at her answer, but Melora just nodded in understanding.

“Of course, I understand,” Melora said, her voice strangely resigned. Sutton tilted her head in confusion, about to ask what Melora meant when she continued talking. “We could never be open about any relationship or be able to enjoy a milkshake at the diner together without any risk. You probably want something more than clandestine scandal, and you definitely deserve better than what I could give. It’s okay, I get it.” Melora hugged herself, staring at the ground. And Sutton realized why she looked so forlorn.

Stepping forward, Sutton cupped Melora’s chin in her hand, bidding her to look up. She had to tilt her head at what was probably an uncomfortable angle just to look Sutton in the eye, but neither minded terribly.

“I think you misunderstand me,” Sutton said, and she leaned down until she was just a few inches away from Melora’s full lips. “May- may I kiss you?” Melora nodded, and that was all the permission Sutton needed. Their lips met, and Sutton felt a thrill run down her spine.

Just like their first kiss, their differing heights made their positioning awkward, and just as last time Melora quickly worked to rectify the situation. With a soft tug, she pulled Sutton forward, and gracefully steered her towards one of their desk chairs. Sutton sat heavily, grabbing the back of the desk to steady herself because she refused to part from Melora’s wonderfully kissable lips.

Sutton decided she greatly enjoyed having Melora on her lap, and the other girl was so slight she didn’t pose any great burden. Besides, it gave Sutton an excuse – not that she suspected she needed one – to hold onto Melora’s slim hips.

This time, with no audience from the peanut gallery, and safe in the knowledge that this was not just a bit of fun between gal pals, Sutton didn’t bother to hold back her soft moans of enjoyment. And the answering sighs from Melora delighted her to no end.

They spend an awfully long time kissing that night, and many nights thereafter. From the outside, nothing appeared to have changed for them aside from a repaired friendship, much to the gossip mill’s disappointment. And rather excitingly, sharing a room made things much, much easier. Even Miss. Chesterfield and Miss. Woolmer didn’t share a room for propriety’s sake even if the whole school knew about it.

Living together meant lots of little stolen moments no one else had. Each night after, and only after, they finished their homework, the two young women would curl up on one of their beds, happy in each other’s arms. They usually sat up, Sutton leaning back against the pillows on her headboard while Melora laid back against her chest. It was nice; wonderfully calming in fact.

Melora usually spent their time reading, though sometimes she implored Sutton to read aloud. Sutton had learned rather quickly that her girlfriend – and it always gave her a thrill to say it even to herself – loved hearing her voice. Through Melora’s adoration, Sutton had even grown to like her deep drowsy rasp.

Anyway, sometimes they read, sometimes Sutton just contented herself by running her fingers through Melora’s long silky hair. Going off of her own experience liking when people played with her own hair, Sutton made a point to massage Melora’s head at least thrice a week. The contented near-purr Melora made always encouraged Sutton to draw it out, gently easing Melora’s poor scalp of the tension wearing her hair up in that tight ponytail all day gave.

“You should wear it down one day just to give your head a rest,” Sutton said after a particularly contented sigh. Melora shook her head, jostling Sutton’s hands.

“If I wore it down two things would happen: it would get caught on everything and get ripped out strand by strand, and you’d be so distracted you’d walk into every desk in your path, darling,” Melora said with a teasing smile. Sutton huffed, but didn’t try to deny it. It was true that she adored the moment when they finally got back from a trying day of classes and Melora shook her hair loose.

The moment one of them reluctantly slipped from the bed and crawled into her own significantly less so. The beds were too small for them to sleep comfortably, even despite Melora’s particularly tiny stature, and there was always a risk one of their form mistresses could pop in for a random bed check.

Sutton didn’t think any of them would ever force the two girls to separate or expel them. Likely they’d just be placed in separate rooms for the illusion of propriety, which seemed punishment enough and the very threat motivated Sutton to move to her own bed each night. Still, she longed to be able to fall asleep like they’d done that night they got drunk. Preferably not on the floor and after consuming a painful amount of alcohol, but Sutton would take anything at this rate.

Being with Melora was so much different than being with Todd. Obviously. Sutton hadn’t expected it to be similar in the slightest, but she didn’t realize just how much better being with someone because she liked them rather than because it was what people expected of her would be.

She never felt any pressure to do anything with Melora. Never felt like she owed her anything or that Melora would get annoyed if she didn’t want to go all the way or decided she wanted to stop kissing. Not that Sutton ever wanted to stop, of course, but at least she knew Melora wouldn’t start whining if she did.

Todd had also been rather rough with her sometimes in his eagerness, and his hands liked to wander, grabbing her arse or breasts a bit too firmly for Sutton’s liking. He always apologized after she reminded him how easily she bruised, but still. With Melora, Sutton never had to say anything of the sort. In fact, Melora was only ever exceedingly gentle, treating Sutton with an almost reverent touch she wasn’t afraid to admit she liked. Todd made her feel like a princess; Melora made her feel like a person. She knew which she preferred, though it had to be said Melora sometimes also treated like her a queen. Something she happily returned in kind.

The weeks Sutton spent with Melora far exceeded any time she’d spent with any boy ever, though it was probably no fault of their own and instead her own sexuality. Being with Melora made her realize she probably wasn’t like Lila who seemed to enjoy boys and girls regardless. Melora didn’t feel her masculinity threatened by Sutton’s towering height, nor did she comment on her small breasts like Todd once had. Though he’d earned a slap for his trouble, of course.

It didn’t seem at all fair to compare them, Sutton continuously reminded herself; apples to oranges after all. But even so.

Sutton wanted to go all the way with Melora. She knew that for sure. Too many nights she’d gone to bed after spending over an hour kissing and caressing Melora’s lovely person, an ache between her legs and lower stomach like a tightly pulled knot. She wanted more, but had no idea how to even go about asking.

Sometimes she wondered if Melora even wanted her like that. She’d made no advances of that nature at all, and Sutton didn’t know what to do. It occurred to her only later that likely Melora simply did not want to force her into anything she wasn’t ready for. Sutton knew Melora was the more experienced of them, and though it probably made sense in her mind that she wait for Sutton to express her interest, Sutton herself had been waiting for her to take the lead.

She should have realized Melora’s nature wouldn’t allow for her to pursue anything without certainty. So, one night during a particularly long holiday weekend, Sutton decided she was going to seduce Melora if it was the last thing she did.

She’d rolled up her little plaid skirt, having dug out one from a few years ago that was now most certainly too small, fluffed up her hair a bit, and painted her lips a nice dark red. As a last second addition, Sutton also undid the top few buttons of her blouse, baring her pale and kissable collarbone.

Melora entered just as she’d put the finishing touches on her appearance, and merely gave her a quick kiss before turning to her desk to take down her hair from the day. Sutton frowned, and decided to up the ante.

“What do you feel like doing tonight?” She asked, letting her voice take on it’s natural husk. She sauntered across the room and leaned over Melora’s shoulder. Melora’s gaze fixed on her through the small mirror’s reflection. She turned, eyebrow raised in question.

“What’s this? Looking to seduce me, darling?” Melora turned, tugging Sutton down for a kiss. The taller girl sighed, eagerly reciprocating. She felt a tug on the hem of her skirt and pulled away, laughing. “Really? You thought you’d try to seduce me with a tiny skirt and your pretty hair?”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it? You’re clearly seduced, so now that I have you where I want you, I’d like to discuss something about taking the next step in our relationship,” Sutton said, tossing her hair. Melora bit her lip, smiling. She casually took a tissue and wiped Sutton’s lipstick from where it had gotten smeared across her own lips, then she handed it to Sutton.

“Better wipe that off or it’ll be on everything, love,” she said. Sutton quickly swiped at her mouth, tossing the tissue aside without breaking eye contact. “Are you certain this is what you want?” Sutton nodded eagerly.

“I _love_ making out with you, Melora,” she said, biting at her lip. “And it’s gotten me all sorts of…excited, if you understand my meaning. And I thought we might do something about that tonight if that’s okay with you. We don’t have to, uh, if you’re not in the mood, or…”

“Well, it sounds lovely to me,” Melora said, letting her gaze travel down Sutton’s neck to the bare expanse of skin below.

“Good,” Sutton said, letting out a breath of relief. “Er, just, you’ll have to be patient with me as I’ve never done anything like this before and have no idea what I’m doing. I might need some instructions on how best to please you, dear.”

“I think,” Melora said slowly. “You’re giving me a little too much credit. It’s true I’ve kissed a few more girls than you, but I’ve never…never had sex with any of them before. So, I’m not quite as masterful as you think. If you’re still willing, we can figure it out together. I can’t promise it’s going to be perfect on the first go.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of time to perfect our techniques then,” Sutton said. And she secretly felt relieved. It meant they were both on equal footing and she didn’t have to feel like a bumbling idiot. “What shall we do first, then?”

“First, I think, we should unzip this skirt of yours before you cut off your circulation,” Melora teased, raising an eyebrow at the tiny scrap of fabric. Sutton sighed in relief, tugging down the zipper. She hadn’t realized just how much her hips had filled out in three years before then. Melora laughed, a soft musical little laugh that Sutton just loved. “Why don’t we just start like we usually do and take it from there? Would you rather on the bed or here?”

Sutton glanced over at her bed. Whenever they kissed on the bed they’d always been upright, but the thought of laying back with Melora on top of her seemed way too appealing to pass up. Smoothly, she lifted Melora, who gasped in surprise and instinctively clung to her, up and onto the bed with hardly any effort at all.

Sutton quickly arranged herself just so, demurely crossing her legs as the tight skirt rode down concerningly low, showing off the lacy tops of her panties. She quickly glanced down at Melora’s own skirt that had begun to ride up as she moved to straddle Sutton’s scantily clad hips, and Sutton saw she’d worn stockings that day instead of pantyhose. With a grin, she teasingly flipped up the back, running a finger over the tops of Melora’s own underwear. Melora playfully slapped her hand away with a laugh.

At Sutton’s pout she said, “oh, fine. You can touch anywhere you’d like, darling.” And then she proceeded to kiss Sutton so senseless she could barely even consider touching anything beyond desperately gripping Melora’s hips and tangling her fingers in her hair, tugging her ever closer.

She whined somewhere in the back of her throat, wanting more. Melora had her panting, flushed, and incredibly aroused.

“It’s a bit warm in here,” she said, separating for just a second. “You should take some of this off.” Melora pretended to consider it before nodding. She straightened up, smoothing her wrinkles blouse. Why, Sutton didn’t know, because in another second, she swiftly undid the buttons and tossed it aside. The taller girl sighed dreamily, unable to look away from Melora’s simple cotton bra, slightly too big for her tiny ribcage and a bit too small for her breasts. Then, Melora lifted herself up and wriggled out of her skirt, and Sutton knew she was completely doomed.

“Those don’t look dress-code appropriate,” Sutton teased, finding her voice. She lightly snapped the little suspenders holding Melora’s stockings up. Melora smiled and reached for the buttons on Sutton’s blouse.

The taller girl sat up and together they easily rid her of her outer clothing. The matching lacey set of undergarments were also certainly not dress-code appropriate which was precisely the point, in Sutton’s opinion. She bit her lip coyly and fiddled with her bra strap. Then, she pulled Melora back down for another kiss.

With hardly any fabric at all separating them, Sutton could feel the slight heat radiating from Melora’s body all the more acutely. But it was the heat coming from the apex of Melora’s thighs that made Sutton flush.

“Please,” she whispered, squirming underneath the other girl. “Please, I want- I want you.” Melora nodded. Sutton propped herself up slightly so Melora could reach behind her and undo the clasp of her bra. She tossed it somewhere, and Sutton didn’t care to see where it landed. Her nipples, a rosy pink, were already hard and aching to be touched.

Sutton made short work of Melora’s own bra and to her delight she didn’t fumble with the clasp even once. When Melora’s breasts, small and very soft, came into view, Sutton decided she’d died and gone to heaven. As she’d suspected, Melora’s browner breasts were smaller than her own, though they appeared larger on her tiny torso. Remembering what Melora had said about touching, she hesitantly brushed a stiff brown nipple with her thumb, looking at her questioningly just in case. Melora nodded, leaning into her touch.

“Take these off too?” Sutton asked, motioning to the last scraps of clothing they still had on. Melora nodded, and off came their underwear, disappearing somewhere onto the floor with the rest of their clothing.

Sutton groaned in delight. They’d seen glimpses of each other naked over the years. It came with the territory of sharing a room and sharing the open showers, but neither had ever really looked.

Not one to ever waste an opportunity, Sutton looked all she wanted. Melora sat back slightly and let her, making sure her hair wasn’t blocking anything from view, and looking her fill too.

They were practically on opposite sides of the spectrum, Sutton thought. Her all pale and long and Melora lightly browned and so very tiny. Not to mention their hair. Sutton had always been a bit self-conscious, being the only ginger at the school. When they’d all been young and just starting to mature, Sutton’s pubic hair had been a particular interest much to her dismay. It was darker than the hair on her head, though still very much red. But under Melora’s affectionate gaze, none of her previous misgivings seemed to show up.

“How about this,” Melora said, forcibly dragging her gaze back to Sutton’s flushed face. “You tell me if something doesn’t feel right and I’ll stop immediately. If something’s uncomfortable, I’ll make sure to slow down. And if you _really_ like something I do, make sure you let me know because I want to make you feel very good tonight.”

“God, yes,” Sutton said eagerly. She laid back, getting comfortable. Melora slid next to her, easily able to lay down between her and the wall with no trouble. She kissed across Sutton’s clavicle, and down between her breasts.

“I’ve heard smaller breasts are more sensitive,” Melora said with a grin. “Let’s see if it’s true for the both of us.” Sutton moaned, her skin erupting in gooseflesh, but Melora stayed maddeningly away from her nipples at first. She looked perfectly content to stroke the sensitive skin all around, tracing the soft curves and dips.

“Please, Melora,” Sutton gasped, arching up. “Please touch me!”

“I am,” Melora said with a slight smirk. “Oh, would you rather me touch somewhere in particular?”

“Damnit, Melora,” Sutton groaned. “You know what I want. Please, touch my- my nipples. They’re practically throbbing for you.” Melora nodded in acquiescence, and Sutton gave a sigh of relief that quickly turned into a gasp of surprise when Melora did something completely unexpected. With a little lick of her lips, Melora lowered her head and gently swirled around Sutton’s right nipple with her tongue. And it felt divine. Sutton let out a long, drawn-out, moan of pleasure.

“This okay?” Melora asked, her lips around Sutton’s hard nipple. Sutton nodded frantically, trembling with arousal.

“God, I never knew it could feel like this,” Sutton said between gasps. “Oh! How- what even made you think to- oh!” In her distraction, though, she only caught the tail end of Melora’s answer, and made a mental note to ask again when she wasn’t overwhelmed with pleasure.

Melora switched breasts, lavishing equal attention on the left one. And it must have been more sensitive than the right, or maybe Sutton was just that turned on, because she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to muffle her loud moan of approval.

“Please, don’t tease,” Sutton said in a strained voice. She could feel the wetness between her thighs, likely dripping down to the bedspread below, but didn’t care at all. “Melora, please. I need you.” She was practically shaking by this point, and had never been more aroused in her life.

“How do you want me?” Melora asked. “I can stay up here and reach down, or I could move down there to see what I’m doing. Your choice, love.”

“I don’t- um, just- maybe down there would be more room for us?” Sutton truthfully didn’t care either way. She felt certain Melora could just look at her and she’d come undone, but seeing Melora carefully sneak down to settle between her spread legs really did it for her. She squirmed, realizing she was fully exposed now, unable to hide anything, least of all how wet she’d become.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Melora said with such sincerity that Sutton had to believe her. “Do you want me inside, or would you rather I didn’t?”

“Sure,” Sutton said breathlessly, quaking with anticipation. “I, um, I lost it riding, so you don’t need to worry about, um, it or anything.”

“Have you ever put anything inside yourself, Sutton?” Melora asked, stroking her inner thigh. Sutton shook her head. She’d always been curious, and lord knew Lila raved about it enough, but she’d never been quite brave enough to try it herself.

“Okay,” Melora said, inching closer. “I’m going to go slowly, so let me know if it’s okay for you.” She waited until Sutton nodded in understanding before sticking her middle finger in her mouth and wetting it. With Sutton watching in nervous fascination, Melora slowly eased her finger inside, letting Sutton’s walls accommodate the slight girth. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sutton said a little breathlessly. “Yeah, um, that’s good. You can keep going. I’ll- I’ll tell you if something isn’t right.” Melora nodded, and slowly began moving her finger in and out. Sutton sighed, squirming and enjoying the warm tightness in her core.

It was…nice. It felt really nice, and made her all tingly and wanting, but it wasn’t as mind-blowing as Lila had said. Sensing a bit of Sutton’s frustration, Melora looked up with a raised eyebrow.

“It- it’s really good,” Sutton said, and her voice gave away just how good it was. “But, um, I’m not sure- I mean, I think I need- it’s…”

“Not enough,” Melora finished for her. Sutton nodded, reddening. “You know, the vagina’s not nearly as sensitive and pleasurable as men like to make it out to be. Saying it is makes them feel better about their own abilities, as if the only way women could ever receive pleasure was from violently ramming a cock into their pussies.”

Sutton burst out laughing, unable to help herself. Melora snickered herself, brushing her hair away from her face. Conscious of Melora’s finger still inside of her, Sutton rocked her hips forward.

“Maybe, um, maybe also touch that spot up a bit higher?” She asked a little bashfully. “The, um, you know. The little nub that’s a bit stiff?’

“You mean here?” Melora asked, smirking a little at Sutton’s gasp when she circled that spot Sutton always loved touching when she had a rare moment to herself. Sutton whimpered. It felt so much more pleasurable when Melora did the touching. “This is called your clitoris, and it’s _very_ sensitive, you know.” To demonstrate her point, she put the tiniest bit of pressure on the sensitive little area. Sutton keened, and flung her head back into the pillow. 

“Oh, my god,” she said, her voice already ragged. “Melora, please. Please just- yes! Oh, yes.” She twisted, grasping the bedspread beneath her. She’d thought Melora’s touch would be about the same as when she touched herself down there, but it wasn’t at all the case. Melora’s fingers moved confidently, making little circles on and around her sensitive clitoris.

“I want to try something,” Melora said, and it was something about her tone that made Sutton raise her head, trying to focus. “And don’t feel like you have to, but I’d very much like to try using my tongue, if that’s okay.”

“Your- what?” Sutton made a small noise of disappointment when Melora stopped touching her, probably so she could form a sentence. “But- but why would you want that? Isn’t that…dirty? I’m not sure…” It was on the tip of her tongue to outright refuse, and certainly she knew Melora wouldn’t care if she did. Sutton had heard enough from Lila to know most boys liked it when their girl took their cock in her mouth, and she’d always thought the very idea repulsive. Why should a cunt be any different? But then she remembered how wonderful it felt to have Melora suckle at her tits. If her tongue could be so lovely there, it had to be amazing down there.

She let out a soft moan, trembling at the very thought, and before she could rethink it she nodded eagerly, opening her legs even wider to better accommodate the other girl. Melora smiled brightly, and shifted lower on the mattress.

“I can’t promise it’ll be good,” she said, ever the realist. “Likely it’ll take a bit of practice, just like kissing, but it’s always good to do a spot of experimenting.” Sutton couldn’t agree more, and when Melora hesitantly licked at her clitoris she almost screamed.

“Oh! Oh, that’s…that’s really fucking good,” she gasped, subtly rocking her hips. “Oh, god, yeah. And the taste isn’t bad, is it? If it’s too foul you don’t have to keep going.”

In order to give a proper answer, Melora slowly dipped her tongue down to the source of Sutton’s wetness. She licked and probed, making Sutton squirm and gasp beneath her.

“No, it’s subtle,” Melora finally said, lifting her head just a bit before diving right down again. Sutton could tell she’d never done something like this before. Melora was a bit clumsy in her ministrations at first. It took a bit to find a rhythm they both liked, but Sutton certainly had nothing to complain about. She rather liked feeling Melora explore and test out what worked and what didn’t, and gladly made sure she vocalized exactly what did.

“Fuck! Oh, bloody hell, yes! Right fucking there,” Sutton moaned, her voice a low growl. “Don’t stop, please!” Inexplicably, every moan and whimper she made seemed to be at least two octaves above her low timbre.

Both girls knew when Sutton was close. Unable to lay still, she squirmed all over the mattress and Melora had to grab her hips to keep her from bucking too hard. Unable to utter anything coherent, she could only make breathless, desperate, moans barely muffled by her hand.

When she finally climaxed, after what she estimated to be an eternity of the most blissful pleasure she’d ever received, Sutton had to turn and press her face into her pillow to prevent herself from waking the entire school.

Melora’s continuous stimulation even after she’d orgasmed only served to draw out her ecstasy. It felt so much better this way. Sutton normally just quickly rubbed one out, and stopped after the initial burst of pleasure, but Melora eased her through, sending her through waves and waves of pleasure until at last she collapsed back, and weakly nudged Melora’s head away.

She groaned, utterly spent and boneless. One arm came up to cover her blotchy and heated face. With a soft laugh, Melora pulled it away. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, only succeeding in wiping some of the moisture away. Sutton couldn’t resist and she eagerly pulled Melora up for a kiss.

“Are you sure? I’ve just had my lips all over your pussy, darling,” Melora reminded her as though Sutton would ever forget. Sutton paused, but nodded. She pushed herself up and met Melora’s lips head on. She hummed, acknowledging her own taste. Melora had been right when she said it wasn’t terribly repulsive. A bit unusual, but not horrible in the slightest.

“Just give me a minute to collect myself,” Sutton said, finally able to form a proper sentence. “I’m ever so eager to return the favor.” Melora flushed, and Sutton could plainly see just how strongly pleasuring her had affected the other girl. She nodded, and let Sutton pull her up until she lay on top of her, head resting on Sutton’s chest. Sutton knew she should have been able to hear her racing heartbeat, consciously feel each deep breath.

“No rush,” Melora said, though Sutton wasn’t so sure she entirely meant it, judging by how she’d started squirming, rocking her pelvis so subtly Sutton almost didn’t notice. The thought that everything they’d done had made Melora, the definition of patience and poise, this excited sent a thrill through Sutton’s still-tingling body.

Another moment, and Sutton felt strong enough to successfully bring Melora as much pleasure as she had given her. She moved carefully, shifting both of them until she hovered over the smaller girl. Slightly terrified she’d accidently crush her, Sutton made sure to keep most of her weight on her knees.

Melora looked up into Sutton’s eyes. She flushed, and the sheer desire in her eyes nearly sent Sutton reeling.

“As yours are even smaller than mine,” Sutton said teasingly, rolling a nipple between her fingers. “Does that make them even more sensitive?” Melora groaned.

“That’s- that’s nice, but, um,” she said trying to complete her thought. “I’m so fucking turned on right now, Sutton. Could you- I’m so wet. Please?”

“Someone’s impatient,” Sutton said with a laugh. Melora just whined, raising her hips. “I let you have your way with me for over half an hour, but I’m not so sure you’ll make it that long, will you?”

Melora shook her head, eyes nearly black with lust. “I mean, I could, if you like, but I just thought since we’ll have plenty of chances to take our time, we might be able to speed this up a bit.”

Sutton teasingly ran her fingers over Melora’s pussy lips, enjoying how some of her arousal had begun spreading. Melora lay perfectly still, a slight challenge in her eyes. Well, fine, if that’s how she wanted to play, Sutton could give as good as she got.

Still hovering over Melora’s body, lips inches from hers, Sutton began teasing apart her netherlips, generously lubricating her middle finger.

“Can I go inside?” Sutton asked, hovering just over Melora’s opening. Melora bit her lip, considering.

“Perhaps if you go slowly and maybe not all the way in? I’m not really that keen on penetration, and your fingers are rather long,” she said honestly. Sutton nodded, and moved higher instead.

“Maybe some other time then,” she said, finding Melora’s clit with relative ease. It was smaller than Sutton’s, less swollen too. Then again, everything about Melora seemed to be smaller. Physically speaking, at least. The positioning made it almost seem like she was just touching herself, and that certainly helped calm Sutton’s nerves. This she knew how to do, at least. Though considering how much harder she’d cum from Melora than she ever had from herself, maybe she did need to hone her skills.

She watched Melora intently, trying to gauge exactly what she liked. It proved harder than she thought because for some miraculous reason, Melora managed to remain fairly in control of herself. Though, and Sutton enjoyed this indeed, she did have a bit more trouble keeping her hips from grinding up into Sutton’s hand.

“You’re so beautiful,” Sutton said. That elicited a soft gasp so she said it again. “You took your sweet time with me, dear. And though I really, really want to make it as good for you as it was for me, I’m just not that patient. Can I go faster or is it too much?”

“You can go faster,” Melora said, and her voice was far too steady for Sutton’s liking. She sped up, and though Melora sighed in approval, she didn’t behave nearly as wantonly as Sutton had. No moaning with abandon, nor high-pitched keening for her. Not for the likes of Melora Sulong. One day, Sutton swore, she’d improve enough to have Melora desperately writhing beneath her, making deliciously aroused noises, but for now she contented herself with the way Melora pulled her down and held her close.

“Sutton,” Melora whispered, arching up into her touch. “I-” Whatever she had been about to say got cut off by the softest, most arousing little sigh of pleasure Sutton had ever heard. Melora came with a small shudder, her grip on Sutton’s shoulder tightening ever so slightly before she went limp.

“That was wonderful,” Melora said, sounding more relaxed than Sutton had ever heard her. She quite liked Melora like this, and couldn’t wait to have her again. “Not sure I want to move.”

“Then stay,” Sutton said, and she sounded dangerously close to begging. Without jostling Melora, she carefully rolled onto her side. They fit so perfectly together, she thought with a satisfied grin. Melora mummed contentedly and snuggled – though she’d never admit any action of the kind – closer into Sutton’s arms. They both sighed happily, sleep mere moments away.

“Bloody fuck,” Sutton suddenly said, eyes snapping open. Melora groaned, knowing exactly what was wrong. Reluctantly she disentangled herself from Sutton’s arms, much to their disappointment, and padded naked across the room to the light switch.

A moment later and Sutton felt Melora crawl right back into her arms. And another moment after that, they were fast asleep.

No one came for unannounced bed checks anymore to Sutton’s utmost relief. It had been nearly a month since she and Melora had first become intimate, and they’d been incredibly lucky. Sutton strongly suspected Miss. Chesterfield had something to do with it, but she’d never brought it up and if she did she didn’t let on.

They’d gotten rather good at having sex, if Sutton did say so herself. She’d even managed to make Melora just the tiniest bit incapable of speech even for just a few moments. And Melora’s tongue technique was now near perfection. Sutton’s own skills, which she’d begun honing a bit later, were still in the works, but Melora loved being her test subject and could happily lie there all night long.

Far from negatively affecting their studies, being together and being intimate only improved their performances. Both young women had always been almost too competitive for their own good.

One day Melora, who’d likely grown just a bit too tired of hearing Sutton brag (she’d always enjoyed riling Melora up by overexaggerating her propensity for arrogance – though not by much) had challenged Sutton to a bit of a competition. Whoever did better on an assignment got to kiss the other.

“Doesn’t seem like much of a loss to me,” Sutton had said. Melora smirked.

“Well, the loser can’t touch the winner at all,” she answered. Sutton groaned. Melora knew how much she’d come to enjoy letting her hands wander. “And I know how much that would devastate you. So, if you can put your grades where you want your mouth to be, better start living up to all your bragging.”

Sutton made the mistake of assuming it would simply be business as usual with the added slight incentive of a kiss. She’d severely underestimated her girlfriend’s competitive nature, and after five years of being used to going against Melora when she’d hardly tried, Sutton assumed it would be much of the same.

If Sutton had known all it took was a bet to make Melora abandon her air of effortless success, she might have done it ages ago. Conversely, a fully motivated Melora meant she actually studied. And her studying the material meant she turned in near flawless grades to Sutton’s frustration and pride.

What vexed, and amused though she wouldn’t admit it, her more than anything else was the fact that Melora didn’t even seem particularly concerned with being able to kiss Sutton and more so pleased with how frustrated the redhead got being unable to touch.

Still, she got her vengeance when they graduated to more risqué wagers and she finally did one better, thereby winning the honor of theatrically masturbating while poor Melora sat tied to a chair, unable to touch either herself or Sutton, helpless to look away from the vision in front of her. It had been a good night. Melora’s revenge when she finally did get to touch, even better.

The final days ticked down, and Sutton approached her graduation with partial dread and partial excitement. The others all seemed fit to burst, gleefully planning their lives post-school.

Despite it being a preparatory school designed specifically for girls looking to go to university, not all of them had decided to actually follow through. Daisy had found a clerical job already and her beau had proposed. Though Melora had tried to convince her to get her education just in case, Daisy wanted a house full of kids, and both she and her fiancé came from money to make it happen.

Josie had also found herself a boyfriend, though she still planned on attending uni. That woman had the makings of being prime minister one day, and Sutton planned to be the first one at the polling booth when it happened.

Holland was on a straight path to some high tech lab school, the logistics of which never did manage to settle comfortably in Sutton’s head. And Lila, though god knew what would ever truly become of her, had her eye on some older rich gentleman who could fund her education, and Sutton applauded her ambitions. Lila was more than just an airheaded tart, and Sutton hoped one day people would actually recognize that. Then again, perhaps Lila preferred being underestimated. It made life ever so much more rewarding.

Sutton had gotten into Cambridge, and Melora hadn’t yet told her of her plans. Sutton hadn’t asked. Part of her felt terrified to know and part of her just wanted to be able to celebrate. She knew Melora would shine in her own quiet way no matter what she did with her life. But beyond the school walls, real life made the redhead shake. Real life meant societal expectations of marriage and children and happy homemaker and not being in an open and committed relationship with another woman.

With just days before their graduation, Sutton dragged Melora down to the lakeside for a walk. They strolled along the banks, lovingly plucked flowers in their hands and in their hair. Sutton spent most of her time admiring how lovely Melora looked. She’d reluctantly taken her hair down and now it whipped around in the light breeze, likely tangling something awful. But it looked pretty, and the brightly colored flowers stood out nicely against her dark tresses.

“I’ve been thinking,” Melora said softly, looking up at Sutton. “What to do after we leave, that is. I- I know it would be unrealistic for us to continue our relationship so I understand if you wish to…to…” Melora seemed unable to get the words out for once. She collected herself and tried again. “If you wish to end this.”

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been nervous or uncertain when I thought about it,” Sutton admitted. “It’s not possible for two women to be together as men and women are. If we were to be discovered, it would mean ruin.” Melora nodded in resignation.

“I know,” she said. “And you deserve better than a lifetime of secrecy. It would be constant stress and terror, and there’s so much more out there for you, Sutton. You’re so beautiful and brilliant. You could be so many things; marry anyone you want. Have children and status and a house in the countryside and another in the suburbs. I can’t give you any of that. And you’d get tired of living in secrecy and being unable to have too many close friends, and we’re women so it’s already difficult enough to find a proper job.”

Melora stopped walking, too busy wringing her hands anxiously and worrying about the future. Sutton reached out and took her hands in hers. She gently rubbed soothing circles in Melora’s palms.

“That’s certainly all true,” she said, seeking out Melora’s gaze. “But it’s also true I want nothing to do with having a husband or a bunch of houses and children if I can’t do it with you. My love, what good are all these things if I cannot share them with the woman I love? Why should I pursue a life I don’t want when I could be with you? Really, you must stop assuming I’m just going to rid myself of you when it’s convenient. Darling, I play for keeps.”

Melora smiled and reached up to touch Sutton’s cheek. “I suppose it wouldn’t be as terrible as I make it out to be. It’s perfectly reasonable two schoolmates would share a flat to save money for school.”

“And later when we become old enough to be spinsters people won’t think anything of two old maids staying together to keep each other company,” Sutton said with a smirk. “After all, women couldn’t possibly live independent of men.” She rolled her eyes, happy she’d made Melora chuckle.

“Besides, if things don’t work out here there’s always America,” Melora said pragmatically. “With all that business about Stonewall and gay liberation we might find ourselves kindred spirits.”

“You’d hate every bit of America,” Sutton teased, pulling Melora closer. “You’d never stop griping about the weather and the food and the god-awful people and how terribly rude they are.”

“If it meant being with you, I’d learn to like it,” Melora said, and she said it so seriously Sutton knew it was true.

“So it’s settled then,” Sutton said with conviction, pulling Melora down to sit on some nearby rocks. All the better to sneak a few kisses. “No more talk of me leaving you for greener grasses because there are no grasses greener than this. We’ll make it work. Just look at Miss. Chesterfield and Miss, Woolmer. There are opportunities for us to live together.”

“I chose Cambridge over Oxford,” Melora admitted quietly. “If you’d rather we didn’t go to the same school I understand. I don’t think Oxford would have any complaints.”

“I only want you to go to Cambridge if you truly prefer it over Oxford,” Sutton said sternly. “Not because of me, or anything else, but because you feel it better suits your academic needs. Isn’t that what you’d say to me? Exactly. And if Cambridge if right for you, I’m thrilled.”

“Then it’s all settled,” Melora agreed. She glanced around and after ensuring no one could see them, she gave Sutton a quick kiss. “You and me. And if I have to personally begin a revolution just to one day be able to publicly declare my love for you, I’ll gladly throw the first stone.”

“I know,” Sutton said affectionately. “I know you’d be all too happy to overthrow some old white men, but you’ll just have to settle for sharing a home with me for as long as we both shall live. Just…promise me one thing, won’t you?”

“Of course. Anything,” Melora said with adoration in her eyes. Sutton leaned forward and placed another kiss on her lips. She wanted to hold her in that moment forever.

“Promise me we’ll never have to sleep in a single bed ever again,” she said, the epitome of serious. Melora laughed, unrestrained and brimming with true delight. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. And Sutton wouldn’t trade it for anything.


End file.
